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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Legislature defeats resolution on definition of marriage

The House today narrowly defeated SJR 7 urging the U.S. Congress to propose a constitutional amendment that would prohibit the definition of marriage as anything other than the union of one man and one woman. The vote was announced as being approved 51-25, but a recount found one representative not in his or her seat and that meant the bill failed 50-25.

Sen. Jason Rapert proposed the resolution. Rep. Micky Gates spoke for it in the House. He said it merely supported what voters of Arkansas had attempted in the state Constitution, later invalidated by a ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court.

It was almost another piece of official action to add to the list of Arkansas's demonstrated bias against LGBT people.

Rep. Jana Della Rosa opposed the resolution. She said she held the same view of marriage, but it was hypocritical for the legislature to talk repeatedly about "states rights" and then ask the Congress to impose its view on all other states.

Rep. Kim Hendren said calling an Article 5 convention to amend the U.S. Constitution was too dangerous. He called the resolution a "pig in a poke."

Wesley Clark, the retired NATO commander from Little Rock, writes critically today in the Washington Post about Donald Trump as commander in chief.

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Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill alone among Arkansas's House delegation voted last week against a measure that provided $36.5 billion in disaster aid, a portion for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico as well as money for wildfire response and to support the flood insurance program.

June 2018 is the expected publication date for a novel collaboration by former President Bill Clinton and crime writer James Patterson.

Slideshows

Arkansas vs Ole Miss at War Memorial stadium in Little Rock, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. After leading for much of the game, Arkansas lost 37-33 when Ole Miss scored the game winning Touchdown with less that 2 minutes left.